This invention relates to an apparatus for mounting two lasers and more particularly to an apparatus of a simple structure for mounting two lasers such that they can be adjusted by simple operations to produce mutually parallel or colinear beams in a desired direction. In addition, two beams may be controlled to essentially any desired degree of parallelism.
In connection with an optical image projection system utilizing a thermally-addressed liquid crystal cell as reviewed in an article entitled "Laser-Addressed Liquid Crystal Displays" by A. G. Dewey (Optical Engineering, May/June 1984), for example, there are situations where it is desired to have two laser beams from two separate sources in a mutually parallel relationship or to make them coaxial as precisely as desired. By the use of a prism to deflect a beam by 90.degree. and of a beam combiner to form coaxial beams out of two beams originally travelling in mutually perpendicular directions, the aforementioned object can be accomplished by providing an apparatus for mounting two lasers so that their beams are as exactly parallel to each other as desired.